One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

At six o'clock in the morning, the sky over Guiyang had just shed the heavy ink of night and was tinged with a hazy gray-blue. The quiet of the old neighborhood was broken by the clanging of stoves being set up at the breakfast stalls downstairs and the faint sound of water truck music coming from afar. The air began to fill with the fresh scent of a new day, a mixture of smoke and morning dew.

Inside the safe house, Nie Lingfeng was already awake. He sat cross-legged by the living room window, eyes closed, regulating his breathing. A night of deep meditation had not only completely replenished the energy depleted from yesterday's battle at the base, but also given him a deeper understanding and control over the power within him that had fused with the three divine artifacts. Dark golden power surged through his meridians, like a tamed river, gentle yet powerful, carrying a sense of endless harmony. The Qilin tattoo on his chest seemed to radiate an even more restrained and noble dark golden luster in the dim morning light.

A soft rustling sound came from the kitchen, along with Chen Duo's suppressed, small yawn. Nie Lingfeng's lips curled up slightly, knowing that the girl had also woken up and was probably saying her "final goodbye" to her "storage rations" (the compressed biscuits and beef jerky in her backpack), or planning what delicious food she could have for breakfast.

Sure enough, not long after, Chen Duo rubbed her eyes, wearing her light blue pajamas with little bears on them and slippers, and slowly shuffled out of the room. Her hair was a little messy from sleeping, with a few unruly strands sticking up, and her bright green eyes were still misty from just waking up as she looked dazedly at Nie Lingfeng by the window.

"Good morning, Nie Lingfeng." The voice was soft and sweet, filled with drowsiness.

"Good morning." Nie Lingfeng opened his eyes, a flash of dark golden light appearing briefly before returning to his usual deep black. "Are you hungry?"

Hearing the word "hungry," Chen Duo's eyes lit up instantly, and her drowsiness vanished considerably. She nodded vigorously, "Hungry! I want to eat... something hot and soupy." She recalled the sweetness of the candied strawberries from last night, but also felt that she should eat something salty and warming for breakfast. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

"Okay, let's go out for breakfast later." Nie Lingfeng stood up, stretched his limbs, walked to the table, and picked up the encrypted black phone. There were several unread messages on the screen, from "Eagle," at four in the morning.

He clicked on it. The message wasn't long, but it contained a lot of information.

"Mr. Nie, Ms. Chen Duo, good morning. The preliminary report and impact assessment of the Qiandongnan Incident (Luodongzhai) and its aftermath in Guiyang (Yaoxing Society Base) have been submitted to the board of directors. Chairman Zhao highly praised your work, but at the same time expressed extreme concern about the intelligence related to the 'Parliament' and 'Temple of Immortality' behind the incident, and has ordered the initiation of the highest level of confidentiality and investigation procedures."

"Given the special circumstances and the fact that the identities of the two individuals may have been under close 'scrutiny,' after deliberation by the 'Dawn' Command and with the approval of Chairman Zhao, it has been decided to temporarily transfer the two individuals from the Southwest region to carry out a new, relatively 'low-profile' but equally important long-term undercover investigation mission."

"Mission Location: Mengla, a small border town on the outskirts of the core area of ​​the 'Golden Triangle' in Yunnan, Myanmar, and Laos. Located at the intersection of three countries, the town is a complex place with a diverse population and is a lawless zone, historically a haven for smuggling, drug trafficking, and various illegal transactions. However, in the past three months, a series of inexplicable 'disappearances' and 'mass hysteria' incidents have begun to occur in the town and its surrounding areas."

"The missing persons are mostly young and middle-aged men and women who vanish without a trace, without any kidnapping or conflict, as if they have evaporated into thin air. 'Mass hysteria' manifests as townspeople or residents of nearby villages collectively falling into a trance-like, sleepwalking state at specific times (mostly on the night of a full moon), repeating some ancient and eerie sacrificial dance or chant. Upon waking, they have no memory of it, but their bodies rapidly weaken, as if a large amount of their vital energy has been drained. Terrifying legends such as 'Mountain Spirit's Wedding' and 'Malaria Mother's Revenge' circulate locally, causing widespread fear."

"The company sent two groups of field agents to infiltrate the town as merchants and explorers to investigate. However, the first group of three lost contact on the third day after entering the town, and the second group of two were attacked by an unknown creature in the rainforest near the town's outskirts. One died and the other was seriously injured. The seriously injured person brought back vague information, mentioning 'red mist,' 'moving shadows,' and 'underground songs.' The assessment is that the incident is highly likely to involve high-intensity 'field contamination,' 'mind manipulation,' or is related to some border tribes of supernatural beings on the verge of extinction who possess strange inheritances. It is even possible that... the 'Council' or its henchmen are using the chaos in this lawless land to conduct new 'sowing' or 'harvesting' experiments."

"Mission Requirements: Infiltrate Mengla Town posing as a 'herbal medicine merchant searching for a missing (fictional) older brother' and his 'younger sister' to uncover the truth behind their disappearance and hysteria, assess the risk level, and locate and resolve the source of the pollution as much as possible. If it is confirmed to be related to the 'Council,' action may be taken as appropriate, but personal safety must be prioritized, and evidence must be collected as much as possible. Mission Timeframe: Tentatively two months. Mission Level: A (Potential for upgrade)."

"Identity information, backup communication devices, some start-up capital, and necessary equipment have been delivered to the Guiyang branch through encrypted channels. The person in charge, Xiao Yang, will hand them over at the designated location at 10:00 AM today. In addition, headquarters has coordinated with the Yunnan branch to arrange temporary accommodation for the two of you in the border city of Jinghong, as well as a trustworthy informant familiar with the local situation (codename 'Azanji'), who can provide initial guidance and support."

"This journey to the border is fraught with danger, the mountains are high and the roads are long, the situation is far more complex than inland. Please be extremely cautious and take care. Eagle."

Nie Lingfeng quickly scanned the information, his eyes narrowing slightly. The Golden Triangle, Mengla Town, missing persons, mass hysteria, red fog, moving shadows, underground singing… and the possible existence of a “Council” experimental site. This mission sounded far more bizarre and dangerous than Luodong Village and the Yaoxing Society base. Those areas were true lawless zones, with weak law and order, where any supernatural event could be masked by bloodshed and violence. Moreover, infiltrating as a “medicinal herb merchant” and “sister” meant they needed to play the roles of ordinary people, avoiding revealing their supernatural abilities, which increased the difficulty and risk of the operation.

On the other hand, this is indeed a relatively "low-key" arrangement. Being far from the company headquarters and the core area where various forces are watching closely, and going deep into the border area, may actually be safer and make it easier to secretly investigate any other traces that the "parliament" may have left behind.

"Nie Lingfeng?" Chen Duo noticed Nie Lingfeng staring at his phone without speaking, his expression somewhat serious. She couldn't help but lean closer and whisper, "Is... is there some new 'stinky thing' to fight?"

Nie Lingfeng put away his phone and looked at her. Chen Duo had already changed into her outdoor clothes (still the same dark windbreaker, spotlessly clean), her hair was combed and tied into a neat high ponytail, her face was fair, her eyes were clear, and she was looking at him intently, waiting for "instructions." That serious look of "being ready to go out and fight bad guys at any time" eased some of the tension in Nie Lingfeng's heart.

"Yes, we have a new mission." Nie Lingfeng nodded, trying to sound relaxed. "We're going to a very far place, on the border, near many mountains and forests. The people there seem to have encountered some strange things, and we need to go and investigate."

"Border?" Chen Duo tilted her head, a little unfamiliar with the term. "Is it... the area marked with a line on the map? Are there any good places to eat there?" Her focus was as "unique" and "practical" as ever. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Nie Lingfeng chuckled: "There should be... I guess. I've heard there are many fruits I've never tried before, like jackfruit, durian, mangosteen... and all sorts of dishes made with spices and herbs, the flavors are very unique." He recalled his impressions of Yunnan and Southeast Asian cuisine.

Hearing about "fruits I've never tried before" and "very unique dishes," Chen Duo's eyes lit up again. The slight unfamiliarity she felt towards the "new mission" and the "faraway place" was instantly replaced by curiosity. "Let's go! Let's go take a look!" (☆▽☆)

"Okay. However, this time we have to pretend to be a brother and sister looking for someone. We can't just burn things with 'fire'. We have to be careful, observe and listen carefully, understand?" Nie Lingfeng instructed.

"Okay! Got it! Pretend to be brother and sister!" Chen Duo nodded vigorously, seemingly a little excited about this "role-playing." After thinking for a moment, she added, "Then... should I call you 'brother'?"

"...You can call me that when no one's around." Nie Lingfeng touched his nose, feeling a little strange, but didn't correct him. "Alright, let's not think about that now. Let's go have breakfast, then get our things and get ready to leave."

After getting ready, the two went downstairs. There were several breakfast stalls near the entrance of the residential area. Chen Duo finally chose the most popular mutton rice noodle shop. A large pot of milky white mutton soup was bubbling, and the aroma was irresistible. The cooked rice noodles were poured over the rich soup, topped with tender stewed mutton with skin and offal, sprinkled with bright green cilantro and scallions, and then drizzled with a spoonful of bright red chili oil. A steaming bowl of fragrant and piping hot mutton rice noodles was served.

Chen Duo imitated the diners next to her, first taking a sip of the soup. The delicious taste made her squint her eyes in satisfaction. Then she picked up a piece of rice noodles soaked in broth, blew on it, and slurped it down. Next, she picked up a piece of tender, melt-in-your-mouth lamb, her face flushed, sweat beading on her nose, and she kept panting, but her chopsticks wouldn't stop. This combination of fresh, spicy, and hot flavors was a completely new experience for her, a different kind of delight compared to the sweetness of candied strawberries. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

Nie Lingfeng also ordered a bowl and ate quickly but calmly. As he ate, he kept an eye on his surroundings. Nothing seemed amiss. It seemed the destruction of the Yaoxing Society had indeed brought them temporary peace.